Too Late For Gomen
by Wingleader Sora Jade
Summary: After a particularly explosive fight with Akane Ranma ends up leaving the dojo. Now it's a year later, and Akane finally admits her true feeling to herself. Akane/Ranma fluff.


Too Late For Gomen 

by WSJ 

Or, for those of you who aren't skilled in Japanese, **Too Late For Sorry**. 

Song: _Big Big Girl_ by somebody (I don't know who...) 

Genre: Romance/angst 

Couplings: Akane/Ranma 

Warnings: Fluff... 

Inspired by: **Another Sad Love Story** and **Don't Wanna Miss a Thing**, both by Batdz Angel 

Authoress's Notes: This is my first ever Ranma fic, but definately _not_ my last. ^^ I love Ranma and Akane!!! 

Shameless Plug(s): If you liked the angst I piled into this and you're a Gundam Wing fan then read my stories **Sacrifices Made** and **Big Big Girl** (which is Heero/Relena). Or, if you're into Discworld, read **Good Luck and Good Bye**, which is my Carrot/Angua fic. 

Summery: Akane and Ranma have a disasterous fight that drives Ranma to run away. Now it's a year later and Akane wishes he were back. 

Stuff in italics is flashback, the the bold is the song. Regular text is present day. 

()()()()() 

_"I hate you Ranma Saotome! I hope I never have to see you again for as long as I live!!!" Akane yelled, bringing her mallet down on Ranma's head. To her surprise he didn't jump up with a nasty retort, but just sat there looking at her. _

"Do you really mean that?" he asked, and in her anger Akane failed to pick up on the veiled sorrow in his voice. 

"YES!!!!" she screamed, then brought her mallet down once more on his head for good measure, tossed it back into HammerSpace and stomped out of the room. 

Ranma sat there for a couple more moments, staring at the space where she'd been, and then picked himself up. "All right Akane-chan. Sayanora..." 

And he left. 

**I'm a big big girl in a big big world **

It's not a big big thing if you leave me 

But I do do feel that I do do will 

Miss you much, miss you much 

Akane Tendo, now seventeen, stuffed her hands deeper into the pockets of her trench coat as she wandered among the cherry trees of the park. Usually she delighted in their beautiful pink blossems, but it was late September and there were none. Just golden leaves that dropped off the trees at the slightest breeze. 

Spying her favorite tree (because of its wide trunk and branches and thick leaves, perfect for sitting in unnoticed) Akane grabbed one of the lower branches, swinging herself up. She settled onto a branch mid way up the tree and absently plucked a yellow leaf, twirling it between her first finger and thumb. 

'Why'd I have to say those things to Ranma... I don't hate him! I've never hated him! Why couldn't I just keep my mouth shut? Or better yet, tell him how I really feel?' 

Akane sighed deeply and let her head fall back against the rough bark. The leaf slipped out of her now relaxed fingers and fluttered to the ground. A year... It had been a year today since he left... 

**I can see the first leaf falling **

It's all yellow and nice 

It's so very cold outside 

Like the way I'm feeling inside 

_Yawning Akane sat up, cheerfully wondering just how Ranma was going to torment her today. She quickly shed her pajamas and pulled on her regular clothes, not noticing that P-chan was drooling at the sight of her naked. _

She opened the door to her room and skipped downstairs, whistling tunelessly to herself. She was surprised to see everyone else already up, everyone except Ranma that is, and sitting around the table, all with similarly downcast looks on their faces. 

"What?" she asked, her skip slowing and then finally stopping, her whistling and cheerful smile doing likewise. Wordlessly Kasumi handed her a peice of paper that had been lying on the table, even *her* customary smile gone. 

Curiously Akane took it, quickly recognising the handwriting as Ranma's. 'Dear everyone...' With growing horror Akane read the rest of the note, and then re-read it. 

Finally she let it fall from her hands. It fluttered to the floor and no one made a move to pick it up, and no one would look Akane in the eyes. Eventually, just to break the silence, Akane was able to squeaze out one word around the lump in her throat. 

"No..." 

**I'm a big big girl in a big big world **

It's not a big big thing if you leave me 

But I do do feel that I do do will 

Miss you much, miss you much 

Still sitting limply in the cherry tree, Akane didn't notice, or care, when it started to rain. Looking up through the cherry leaves at the grey clouded sky, her own grey eyes clouded with tears. 

Furious at herself she swiped at them, but they persisted on staying, and a few trickled down her cheeks. 

She knew she should be getting back to the dojo, everyone was probably worried about her. In the last year Shampoo and the other 'non-family' members had largely left, either to look for Ranma or out of bordum. The only ones left were her, her sisters, Soun and Genma. Even P-chan had left. 

But no matter how much the others, Shampoo mainly, looked, Ranma was no where to be found, in either male or female form. It was like he'd vanished completely off the face of the earth. 

But Akane didn't want to leave the park, not yet. She had something she wanted to do first, something she wanted to say even though she knew he wasn't listening. 

**Outside it's now raining **

And tears are falling from my eyes 

Why did it have to happen? 

Why did it all have to end? 

_"Ranma can't be gone! He just can't!" _

"Akane, get over it!" Nabiki snapped, rubbing her temples tiredly. "Just face it, you scared Ranma away!" 

Akane was taken aback. "Me? What did I do?" 

"Oh come on." Nabiki said rolling her eyes. "I heard you two fighting last night. You made your feelings pretty clear to him. I don't really blame him for leaving." 

"But..." But Akane knew Nabiki was right. It was her fault Ranma was gone, whether she loved him or not. 

**I'm a big big girl in a big big world **

It's not a big big thing if you leave me 

But I do do feel that I do do will 

Miss you much, miss you much 

Another hot tear made its way down her face, and Akane didn't bother to wipe it away. Why should she? No one was around. 

Closing her eyes, she invisioned him sitting on the branch above her, swinging his legs in her face and laughing when she got angry. Or sitting on the branch next to her, ready to push her off, jump to the ground and catch her. Or sitting on the same branch she was, his arms wrapped around her waist so that she _wouldn't_ fall. 

But it was no use. She couldn't imagine him there because he wasn't, and she just had to accept that. 

But she knew she couldn't fully accept he was gone until she said it. But was she ready? Was she brave enough to clearly state her true _true_ feelings, even to thin air? 

**I have your arms around me **

Warm like fire 

But when I open my eyes 

You're gone 

_"Kasumi..." _

"Yeah Akane?" 

If you had a boy that you liked, but you were always fighting and quarreling, how would you tell him that you really loved him?" 

Putting down the knife she'd been using to chop vegetables, Kasumi gave her little sister a knowing smile. "I'd just tell him." 

"But he'd think it was a joke! I know he would! He'd laugh!" 

Kasumi frowned slightly. "Well that is a puzzle... But I still think you should just tell him. If he loves you back then he'll be able to see that you're sincere." 

Akane nodded. "Thanks Kasumi." 

"No problem. Anything for my little sister." 

**I'm a big big girl in a big big world **

It's not a big big thing if you leave me 

But I do do feel that I do do will 

Miss you much, miss you much 

Taking a deep breath, Akane looked back up toward the grey skies. The rain had stopped, but the sky was still cloudy and overcast. 

Taking several more deep breaths Akane finally voiced her feelings for Ranma, although no one else would ever hear then, least of all Ranma himself. 

"Gomen nasai Ranma-kun, aishiteru." 

**I'm a big big girl in a big big world **

It's not a big big thing if you leave me 

But I do do feel that I do do will 

Miss you much, miss you much… 

From behind her, out of sight on a branch on the other side of the wide-trunked tree, came a voice, one she knew very well. 

"I love you too Akane. Apology accepted." 

()()()()() 

Like it? ^^ I hope so! 

Comments will be sent to yamatos_fangirl@hotmail.com or thewildeagleismine@hotmail.com 

God Bless you! 


End file.
